


Power and Grief

by TiredBadger



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 11:10:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18179828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiredBadger/pseuds/TiredBadger
Summary: Two titan class guardians enter the rusted lands after the events of Dredgen Yor and the rise of the Shadows.





	Power and Grief

Two guardians walked in silence for some time after dismounting their sparrows in the Rusted Lands of the Eastern Flood Zone. Past the rubble of crumbling old buildings, rust eaten pipes and tanks, their paint chipped and faded. The old hive seeder loomed in the distance, discarded years past from its creators thanks to the presence of Shaxx's Red Jacks. Rhea shifted her rifle, the seeder made her uneasy, deep down her instincts ticked at the thought of thralls emerging or even worse a brood queen.

Triton-1 was unphased by its presence as they finally exited the boundary of the crucible and continued on into a dead zone. He was hot-headed, always ready to start the fight, always the one to finish it. Those red eyes seemed to burn brighter in delight at the sound of hand cannons firing, the crunch of a blow landing. He had a wicked streak that fed on battle, he was quick to anger in the crucible, to the point where his preferred match style was Rumble. A few time's Shaxx had benched him for unsportsmanlike behavior, once going as far as placing a ban. Rhea almost believed the rumors that he enjoyed shooting guardians just as much as their enemies.

Rhea on the other hand preferred patrols, long strike missions, or nights out on the wall. But she could be found in the crucible with enough goading from Triton or anyone else assigned to her fire team. The only time she really enjoyed the crucible was during the week of Crimson Doubles, a match style she personally preferred next to control. 

The night sky was starless, the moon itself couldn't even cast a glow through the clouds. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled, she no longer believed this was a patrol for cracking some hive skulls. It had been quiet and it was becoming apparent that this area was cleared of any of those worm mongrels. The bad feeling in her stomach twisted into a knot as Triton came to a halt outside a large concrete railway tunnel.

“Just inside a ways. Got something to show you,” the way the red glow illuminated his mouth gave off the appearance of a sinister smile. “Trust me. You'll enjoy this.”

“Triton wait,” Rhea swallowed harder than intended, everything just felt wrong. “Why did you lie to me about the hive? You could've just told me-”

“Yeah, I could of, but whatever I lied.”

“That's the issue, you didn't have to-”

“You're point has been made, Rhea. Now, are you going to let me show you the surprise or will I have to spoil it?”

Her brows furrowed, and against her better judgement she followed him inside. 

The worn railroad tracks guided the way in the dimly lit tunnel. It smelled damp, moldy, and there was even a hint of decay. The decor hinted that it was last used by the hive as a spawning ground, as remnants of eggs and receding corruption were scattered about the floor. Rhea shifted the rifle on her back once more. She couldn't scratch that itch of something bad, the feeling started to dig in like a hunger. 

Then there was a metallic smell, fresh, known, something that her senses knew all to much of. Rhea stopped walking and looked down. Blood, a lot of it, left a trail across the tracts. Her body tensed.

Triton paused, his shoulders twitched, he was laughing.

“Didn't realize he left such messed and spoiled the surprise,” he turned. “But that's alright he really didn't get much farther.”

“Triton, what-” Rhea new the answer as she looked into the eyes of her friend. They broke past him to a body just a little ways away. She found herself moving towards it, squatting down beside it. “This, they were a guardian.”

Rhea's hand brushed the shattered shell of a ghost on the ground. She stood and turned quickly, however Triton was already there next to her, stifling his fit of manic laughter.

“Poor ghost couldn't even rez him. It was so distraught,” There was a smile, a beam in those eyes. He was proud of his accomplishment. “I wonder if ghost and risen go to the same place in the end.”

“Why?” She found her voice, Rhea was relieved it sounded stern. She's didn't want to show fear  not to him.

“I needed to test it. I want to make sure. It's easy to kill a guardian by disposing of their ghost. But to take their light? To rip them of their one tether to this life. That's another story, Yor did it first. I just wanted to walk that edge as well.”

Her tongue slid across her teeth pulling for words, some sort of safety net. “Why show me?” 

Triton pulled the black gun out, so nonchalantly, as if it was just another hand cannon. “You're smarter than that Rhea,” there was a bark of laughter. “You're a friend, and I have so few of those. Friends share right? Help each other go up in the world?”

“Not like this, this, this is wrong, you're holding Thorn.”

“Proto, there are a lot of kinks we are still working out but it is still getting the job done,” Triton corrected with a shrug. “Rhea I am only showing you this because I want you to join us.”

“I'm guessing you thought this through,” she gave a nod to the gun. “And if I say no, I'll end up like them.”

“Truely,” His voice went cold, there was venom to the words. “I don't give two shits if it comes to that. You'll be no better off than that man, I'm giving you a chance for power. You'd be a shadow, Dredgen even. Squander it and I will not hesitate to put two bullets into those pretty eyes of yours.”

“I don't want that.” Her hand went to her rifle sling out of defense. 

“I wouldn't do that Rhea, not smart. Not smart at all. Think of what I can accomplish, think of it.”

“I thought you said you wouldn't hesitate.”

The light from his mouth went dark, a frown. Rhea felt the bullet bite before the sound echoed through the tunnel. It burned, it fed, it hungered for her light. She let go her rifle to grip the shoulder. Darkness escaped from the wound in wisps, blood soaking her gloved hand. She bit down hard on her tongue to hold back from screaming. It burned, burned like frostbite, only lucky that her heavy armor stopped it from going in deep..  Rhea could only find the strength to keep from falling to her knees.

“Now I bet that hurt,” he barked. “Burns doesn't it. You can feel that little slug eating away. Wanna call your ghost? You wanna make that pain go away? Pick the right answer Rhea.”

A dispiriting frown creased her lips. She spat blood from her tongue. “I am.”

She lunged, her full weight fell with it as she collided into him. Grappling for the gun, she shoulder now searing. Her one hand gripping tightly on the barrel of the Proto-thorn, trying desperately to get it out of reach. Triton was seething, his eyes burning into hers.

“You can't win. You don't have it in you,” The word were hissed into her ear. “You are going to die Rhea, because you don't have it in you to kill me.”

The next move was unexpected she drew back her head and slammed against his. More hurt to her than it could of possibly been to his exo skull. But enough, just enough for space, just enough. Rhea pulled from the void, she channeled its grasp to her fist, and sent it flying into his chest. It pulled his light, disintegrating it, and melding it into her. 

The gun fell, their eyes met as they scrambled for it. Two shots echoed down the tunnel, followed by a low rumbling chuckle. 

“Ha, powerful right? Felt good, you hearing their whispers?” 

Rhea fell back against the wall, Thorn clattered against the rail line, his laughter stopped. An eerie silence washed over the tunnel. Rhea couldn't find the will to move or speak. There were tears, hot and wet as they moved down her cheeks. 

A white light flash, followed by a green light peering down at her. She was enveloped in warmth much to her dismay, it felt so safe but her mind was so muddled she shuttered against it. It washed way the physical hurt but her mind was still numb, she still couldn't stop her silent crying. At last she found a voice.

“I need to bury him,” her mouth dry as cotton with bile in the back of her throat. “Them.”

Her ghost didn't ask a single question in the time it took to dig two graves, watched his guardian bare the weight of a friend and a stranger as she lowered them into the ground. Watching silently still as she covered them with dirt and gave them each a head stone. When she delicately picked up the stranger's broken ghost, filling it with light and returning it to the traveler, he finally found the courage to speak.

“Where is Triton's ghost?” It was meak, he feared the answer that she destroyed them. 

“I don't know. I don't think it matters now.” Her voice void of emotions as she sat herself down on the rail line, staring into the space between the two graves.

“But Rhea, what if he resurrects him?”

“I- I don't think he can.”

He floated quiet at her shoulder for a moment, thinking, analyzing.

“Rhea, did you hear whispers?”

She swallowed back the anguish and opened her mouth to speak thinking twice about the answer before frowning, “We need to get rid of it. I don't want someone else finding it.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize if this breaks lore, I am slowly taking in all of what has been recently thrown at us in game. 
> 
> It has been a long while since I have written anything and finished it, so I am sorry for any errors grammatically. I am currently trying to get back into it.
> 
> Thank you for reading


End file.
